Police: Italian Dentist's Tax Returns Filled With Cavities

The tax returns of an elite Italian dentist were less than pearly white and he may have pulled in eight million euros of undeclared income in five years, police said Friday.

Italian police Colonel Gavino Putzu said the unnamed dentist worked in an upscale part of Rome crammed with plastic surgeons and high-end doctors who typically earn at least three million euros ($3.75 million) a year.

But when he filled in his tax returns, the dentist said he "only" earned 250,000 euros ($313,000) annually.

Authorities drilled into the dentist's activities when they noted the number of exotic voyages the dentist was taking and investigators eventually raided his offices, where they allegedly found books detailing his undeclared income.

Tax evasion is widespread in Italy and the European Union is calling on Rome to do more to combat the problem.